THE STAR
by krm3DeeDee
Summary: Hao's the main character here he's a good and VERY popular guy. He and the gang meet a new girl. fluff, romance, evil twin sister, what more could you ask for? T just in case. On Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**THE STAR**

(A/N: (I wrote this two years ago, so don't flame me)Hao, Yoh, Manta, Horo Horo, Ren and Anna are going at the same high-school now, the Yoshinra high. Hao is very popular because he can play the piano and the guitar, and he won many competitions. Yoh and Anna are together, and the rest…Ren is head of Martial Arts Club and Trey participates at snowboard competitions. Oh and Manta, he's the best student in class.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or its characters except for Diana, Katie and Alicia, so don't sue me. Hope you like my fanfic. Don't forget to leave a review!

**Chapter 1: The audition**

It was a beautiful Monday morning, 7 o'clock, the hour when classes begin.

The courtyard of the high-school was full of students.

"Manta, can I sit next to you?" asked Yoh yawning

"Aha, you didn't prepare for the test?" asked Anna

"Whoa…what? We have a test today?" asked Trey

"Yes, idiot! The teacher has been telling this to us every day the last week!" answered Ren. "But you were probably to busy daydreaming about girls!"

"Right! And what will be the questions, Hao?" asked Trey, looking in the book

"I didn't hear the teacher thinking about them" said the boy sarcastic

All students entered the building. A few girls started screaming when they saw Hao. Yoh and the rest entered the classroom 9A and waited. The teacher soon appeared with the subjects.

"It's level medium of difficulty, but I want you to be careful when you answer".

In the other class, 9B

"Students, you have a new classmate. Her name is Diana Johnson and she is a transfer student from the USA" said the teacher

Diana went to sit in a desk near the window. She felt good, and she was anxious to meet her new classmates, especially the girls. She often found it hard to integrate somewhere. This time, she was going to make friends, starting from the break.

So, when the bell rang, she went out on the corridor. She waited for her classmates to exit and started talking with them.

One of the girls offered to show her around.

"Come, Diana!" said Katie

"All right! Wait a second, why did we stop?"

"I want to see Hao Asakura!"

"Hao…?"

"He's…right, you don't know him…he's like the star of this high-school. He can play the guitar and the piano, he won some competitions and he's totally super-cool! Every girl here wants to be his girlfriend, I'm telling you, but he's not even looking at us."

"Interesting guy!" said Diana slightly amused

"You'll love him the moment you see him!" Katie assured Diana

'I doubt' thought Diana, and went to the window, while Hao was going out of the classroom. The girls started screaming, and Diana covered her ears.

'I'll never scream for a guy like that' she thought, while the boy passed by her side. She didn't see him.

Later, Katie went with her through the rest of the building. On the music classroom's door they saw an announcement.

"VERY IMPORTANT! We're looking for a girl with beautiful voice, age 14-16. The audition is held here, on Tuesday the 3rd of March, at 16.00, after classes. Anyone who's interested put your name on the list below."

"What is this?" asked Diana

"Oh, it's for the annual competition. They couldn't find a girl to replace Ayana" Katie answered

"What competition and who's Ayana?"

"It's a competition between all high-schools in Tokyo. Hao and Ayana won it the last year. They were together, you see. They broke up soon after it and then she moved to another high."

Katie sighed.

"If he was my boyfriend, I would have never let him go"

"Impressive, it's a long list, there are so many talents here…" said Diana

"Most of the girls here just want to see Hao playing the guitar" Katie answered.

Diana signed her name on the last position.

"What are you doing?" asked Katie

"I fit the description. I can sing and I'm almost sixteen" said the girl

"OK!" said Katie. "You'll have to prepare a song by tomorrow. Can you do it?"

"Sure! I'll practice tonight"

The school day passed. All students went home.

Diana closed her room's door and started singing.

"What are you doing, Diana? Don't you have homework for tomorrow?" asked Mr. Johnson

"Already done that, dad! I'm preparing for an audition for an annual contest!" answered the girl.

"Well then, try to be less noisy!" said her mother

Diana stopped her karaoke and sat on the bed.

"This is going to be sooo cool! If only I could be chosen for the competition…I know I have a beautiful voice, but there are other girls in the school who can also sing…I don't even know what chances I have…"

She deepened on her thoughts. Soon, she fell asleep with a lot of beautiful dreams in her mind.

The next day, she went to school with a happy expression on her face.

Katie was waiting for her at the gate.

"Are you ready to become a star?" laughed the girl

"Sure!" answered Diana

"So what melody did you choose?"

"A slow song, I don't know if you heard of it…"

"What's the name?" asked Katie

"It's Dido's song - White flag."

"Never heard of it" said Katie

"See, I told you!" said Diana as something caught their attention. Katie started screaming and a few girls fainted.

"What the…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence, when she saw the boy. She threw him an amused look.

'So this is the famous Hao? He doesn't look like a heartbreaker to me' she thought. She looked down at Alicia, another girl and started to shake her.

"Wake up, you're embarrassing yourself" said Diana

Hao passed by the crowd of girls without throwing them a look.

'What a jerk' thought Diana 'and they fait for him'

Hao stopped and looked around. He couldn't see to who thought belonged to because the crowd was too thick. The girls were pushing one another, trying to get an autograph.

So he went on.

At 16.00, in the music classroom

There were about fifty girls; everyone was talking about Hao. The boy appeared and started giving autographs. Then, half of the girls left.

'Much better' thought Diana. 'At least, I won't have to stay until the night comes'.

The first 10 girls weren't very good. The music teacher listened to each of them for 30 seconds and then told them to stop. The next ten didn't have much luck either. Hao and the teacher looked bored at each other.

'Only five more to go' Hao thought

'If only they were more talented at singing…' thought the teacher

Another three girls sang. They had nice voices, but the teacher told them they were not what he was looking for.

So, it was only Katie and Diana left.

"Good luck!" whispered Diana to her classmate

Katie didn't sing really well. The teacher listened to her desperately.

'I'll never find a replacement for Ayana' he thought

Katie left almost crying.

"Good luck!" said the girl

Hao looked at the last girl.

"I'm tired", said the boy. "I'm going to refresh a little bit"

"All right" said the teacher and turned towards Diana.

"Let's get this over with. Name?"

"Diana Johnson"

"Age?"

"Fifteen"

"I haven't seen you before. In what class are you?"

"9B. I just transferred at this high-school yesterday."

"OK, you may begin."

"Here's the CD"

"What melody is it?"

"It's a slow melody, Dido-White flag."

"I've never heard of it. Sing…"

The orchestra of the song was soon heard.

"I know you think that I shouldn't still love you, I'll tell you that

But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it, where's the sense in that

I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder; I would turn to where we were

But I will go down with this ship…

………………………………………"

'She's perfect' the teacher thought. 'What a voice! She chose a beautiful song, and she sings with so much passion…"

While washing his face, Hao heard the song. He stopped the water and listened.

'Ayana…' he thought

He ran out of the bathroom and stopped. He saw Diana singing, her eyes closed as the melody was going deeper into her heart. He felt tears in his eyes, because the love song spoke of his feelings for Ayana.

The teacher let her finish and applauded her.

"Brilliant! You have a very beautiful voice and that's exactly what we need, right Hao?" said the teacher. The boy nodded in response.

"And your interpretation was extraordinary! Tell me, have you ever sung professionally before?"

"No, I only sang in my school's choir."

"You know the reason we're holding this audition, right?"

"Because you need a female voice for an annual competition between high-schools?"

"Yes. It's a very important one that we won the last year. We have to work a lot because it's in two weeks from now."

They went silent.

"So what do I have to sing?" asked Diana

"Ah, this is the song" said the teacher and handed her a paper. "These are the words, and the song…you'll hear it now."

The teacher put a CD into the CD player. Diana listened carefully.

"It's difficult" said the girl

"She won't be able to learn it" said Hao

Diana threw him a cold look.

The teacher looked at them.

"You said you came yesterday, right? So you probably didn't meet. Hao Asakura - Diana Johnson."

They shook hands in a short and very tight handshake.

The teacher handed Diana the CD.

"Hao will accompany you with the piano. Learn the words and the day after tomorrow be here. You two need to practice" said the teacher and left.

"Wait, at what time should I be here?" asked the girl.

"I'll look for you and tell you tomorrow. I'm in 9A. In what class are you?" asked Hao

"9B" answered the girl

Diana wanted to leave; Hao held the door opened for her as she got out.

'How can he be a jerk and a gentleman all at the same time?' Diana thought

Hao closed the door after him and smiled.


	2. Preparing to win

**THE STAR**

(A/N: Hao, Yoh, Manta, Horo Horo, Ren and Anna are going at the same high-school now, the Yoshinra high. Hao is very popular because he can play the piano and the guitar, and he won many competitions. Yoh and Anna are together, and the rest…Ren is head of Martial Arts Club and Trey participates at snowboard competitions. Oh and Manta, he's the best student in class.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or its characters except for Diana, Katie and Alicia, so don't sue me. Hope you like my fanfic. Don't forget to send a review!

**Chapter 2: Preparing to win**

"I got it! I'm going at the competition!" Diana said to Katie

"You're so lucky! You'll be singing with Hao!" answered Katie "I can't believe it! I was supposed to get to do this!" said the girl and ran away

"But…wait…Katie…I thought you would be happy for me…"

Too late, the girl was gone.

Diana became sad and went in her desk.

'Just when I thought I made a friend…'

Katie returned.

"Katie, I'm sorry. Do you want me to give up this chance?"

Katie's eyes opened wide.

"You would do that for me?"

"I need a friend more than I need a trophy" said Diana

"No, I'm sorry, I…"

"You have a crush on Hao and you're jealous, I understand. You don't have to be ashamed of yourself."

"I want a boyfriend and I don't have one" whispered Katie

"Neither do I but I don't need one" whispered Diana. "Have you noticed how John is looking at you?"

Katie's eyes widened again.

"Really?"

"Really!" Diana smiled. "He was staring at you during the math class and he wrote your name in his notebook."

"How did you know?" asked Katie

"You know my desk is behind his."

The next moment, a boy came into the classroom.

"May I have your attention, please?"

Everyone went silent.

"Thank you. We're organizing a party in the sports classroom. It's Friday, from 8.00 until midnight. Boys should invite the girls; it's a pairs' party. Be there and tell the others."

Katie and Diana giggled.

"So, the boys have to invite us…" said Katie

"Look, John's coming! Be a good girl and accept his invitation. Stop dreaming about that jerk Hao" said Diana and left them alone

"Uhhh…Katie?" asked John

"Oh, hi!"

Diana left them.

"Would you…like to…go…with me…at the party?"

"Sure!" answered the girl and smiled at him

'John is cool too. Who needs Hao?' she thought

The boy smiled back at her.

"I'll come and pick you up at 7.30, OK?"

"OK!" said Katie as the boy left.

Diana approached.

"So?"

"I have a date for Friday night! I have a date for Friday night!"

"Good!" said Diana "See? John's better than Hao. He's good looking and since the other girls are to busy fainting for Hao, you don't have to worry about losing him"

"You know what? You're totally right!"

"Friends?"

"Best friends!"

They smiled as the teacher entered the classroom.

The rest of the day went well, as Katie was making plans of what she'd wear.

Hao wouldn't appear to tell her about the rehearsal, so Diana decided to go look for him. She went to 9A and spotted a boy with violet hair and a spike at the back that was just coming out of the classroom.

She went towards him.

"Hello."

"Hi! Who are you?"

"My name is Diana."

"I'm Ren. Nice to meet you. Umm, what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Hao."

"You and the rest of the girls" said Ren and turned to leave.

Diana grabbed his arm.

"Are you a friend of his?"

"Maybe…"

"Then maybe I don't need to ask him. I just want to know at what time we practice for the competition."

"So you're the girl who got selected?"

"Yes! Now can you answer my question?"

"I'm afraid not, I don't know."

"OK, thanks anyway" said Diana then turned away and left.

She went to look for the teacher and found out the answer.

When the classes were over and she was preparing to leave home, she saw Hao running to catch up with her.

"Sorry I didn't come earlier. Ren told me…it's at…"

"…4.30, I know!" said the girl. "I asked the teacher"

"Oh, OK then" said Hao a little bit disappointed

Diana saw 50 girls coming out of the high-school screaming.

"Ah, there's your fan club!" said the girl and left smiling amused.

The next day, at 4.30, Diana was staying in the music classroom waiting for Hao. The teacher was there too, looking at his watch every minute.

"Why is he not here?"

"Maybe he's being held hostage by a crazy girl somewhere" said Diana laughing.

"This is serious…" said the teacher

"Why?"

"We have to win this year. I shouldn't tell the students, but…we need the money that comes from the prize to keep the school opened."

"WHAT?"

"Keep it down. I need you to prepare you very well for this. I saw that you don't like Hao, but please, try to get along with him, at least until the competition."

"All right. Your secret will be safe with me. But don't tell Hao."

"Why not?"

"He has too many things to focus on, so…"

Just then, Hao appeared.

"I was detained by my…fan club. Sorry I'm late."

"Fine, just get started" said the teacher and he went outside to chase the girls away.

Hao sat down at the piano. Diana started singing, but they were often interrupted by screams and the girls' protests.

"I can't work like this" said Hao and stopped.

Diana stopped too and looked at him.

"Well you have to. You brought these girls here."

"No I didn't."

Diana threw him an exasperated look.

"Yeah, right, so it doesn't flatter you that they follow you everywhere?"

"A little bit."

Diana crossed her arms and sat down without looking at him.

"Diana?"

"What?" said the girl without looking at him

"Why do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you, I just don't like you. I don't have to like you, right?"

'I won't give him the satisfaction to know that he almost made me lose my only friend here' the girl thought 'There is so much at stake now.'

Hao, of course, understood.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" asked the girl surprised

"…That you don't like me. I want us to get along."

"We'll be friends until the competition is over."

"Why only until the competition is over?"

"Because I want us to win."

'And I can avoid you afterwards' she continued mentally

"Me too" said the boy. "It's quiet now, let's try again."

The hour passed and the teacher declared that he was satisfied of how things were going.

Diana smiled happy at Hao. The boy sighed tired.

'If only she wasn't pretending' he thought

He followed her outside. It was almost dark and none of the girls that were usually following Hao could be seen.

"Diana…?"

"What's wrong, Hao?"

"You know, tomorrow night is the party…and…"

"What?"

"Did anyone invite you yet?"

"No, but I don't want to go at the party. I'll probably be too tired"

Diana turned and walked away. Hao stood there watching her go.

The next Monday, at school, Diana was walking on the corridor with Katie. She was just telling Diana how beautiful the party has been, how romantic John is, how they danced, what they talked about and other things. She also told Diana that Ren had asked why she wasn't there. Diana laughed slightly amused.

"So Ren isn't such a good friend with Hao."

"Why do you say so?" asked Katie curious

"Because Hao already knew that I wasn't coming…he asked me if I had been invited…"

"So what did you tell him?"

"I said no, but I also told him I didn't want to go."

"You're so stupid! If he asked you that means that he was going to ask you to go out with him."

"So what? I don't like…"

Just then, Hao appeared, closely followed by Yoh, Anna, Ren, Manta and Trey and the rest of the girls.

"Hello, Diana" he said smiling at her.

"Hello, Hao" answered the girl with an expressionless face.

Fifty furious faces turned to the lucky girl. Lucky?

'Uh-oh!' Diana thought and started running as fast as she could. The girls followed her, as if they'd want to kill her.

A cry was heard along the corridor as she disappeared out of Hao's sight.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, HAO ASAKURA! I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!"

Hao laughed. Katie went towards the boy.

"You did this on purpose!"

"Maybe…"

Katie looked at him with anger burning in her eyes.

"She was right about you. You really are a jerk. I can't believe I liked you all this time…" she said and went away to save her friend.

"Ah, looks like you're losing your fans" said Trey

Manta nodded.

"What has this girl done to you? You have to sing with her, right?" asked Yoh

"She hates me; she thinks I'm a jerk"

"So you think that doing this will make her like you?" asked Anna

"I get it. You like her!" said Ren

"Keh!"   
"Admit it! Admit it! Admit it!" said Yoh and Trey together

"I don't like her. Now let's go before my fan club returns."

The bell rang and all students returned to their classrooms, including Diana who had barricaded in the toilet during the break. Katie was walking in front of her covering Diana in case another Hao fan would see her.

At the end of the day, Diana had to practice again with Hao. She waited for him pretty calm, which set off a mental "Uh-oh!" in Hao's head, but nothing happened. It looked like she wasn't talking to him anymore. She was only addressing to the teacher and was only answering to his questions. Hao wanted to apologize but she didn't give him the chance to do it. She wasn't even looking at him anymore.

At the end of the two hours, she exited the school heading for home when a strong arm grabbed her.

"Diana, wait!"

"Let me go, I have nothing to talk to you about"

"I didn't want to…"

"I know you did it on purpose. Now let me go!"

She looked as if she'd slap him with the other hand if he didn't let her go.

Hao released her hand.

"I'm sorry" he said

"Why did you do it?"

"I don't know…I'm sorry"

"Fine, I forgive you."

"Because you have to or because you want to?"

"Why did you apologize?"

"Because I wanted to"

"Good, then we're friends again" said Diana and left.

'When have we been friends?' Hao asked himself as he watched her go. 'Maybe she likes me after all…'

------------------------------ Lilka: Thank you very much for your review. I'll post as often as I can, I've already finished this fic. It pleases me to see that someone still loves this style of writing. 


	3. The competition

**THE STAR**

(A/N: Hao, Yoh, Manta, Horo Horo, Ren and Anna are going at the same high-school now, the Yoshinra high. Hao is very popular because he can play the piano and the guitar, and he won many competitions. Yoh and Anna are together, and the rest…Ren is head of Martial Arts Club and Trey participates at snowboard competitions. Oh and Manta, he's the best student in class.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or its characters except for Diana, Katie and Alicia, so don't sue me. Hope you like my fanfic. Don't forget to send your reviews!

**Chapter 3: The competition**

The next days were exhausting for the Hao and Diana but they were getting along fine now. The music teacher had forbidden the girls that were usually following Hao to approach to him when he and Diana practiced. But Wednesday he got sick and didn't come to school.

Diana went to see Hao at 9A. She didn't have any problems getting inside now that everyone knew who she was. And she didn't have problems with Hao's fan club either because the girls had finally realized that she was not his girlfriend.

"Hao, we have something to talk about"

"What is it?"

"The teacher is sick, so we can't practice today… oh, hi Ren!" said the girl smiling at the violet haired boy who suddenly blushed.

Yoh and Trey grinned evilly before taking Ren out of the classroom and starting to question him.

"This can't be possible, the competition is on Saturday, we HAVE to practice!"

"I know, but your fan club just won't let us do it…"

"So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know…"

"All I need is a piano"

"I have one at home, but my parents…I don't know if they let me invite people."

"…"

"Wait here until I phone to ask them" she said and removed her cell phone

She went at the window and talked to her father. She explained him the situation and then closed.

"OK, you can come at 17.00"

"Where do you live?"

Diana asked for a piece of paper and wrote her address on it.

"Here. Don't be late. Bye!"

"Bye!"

Hao went to his desk smiling at the piece of paper.

Yoh returned with Trey and Ren and looked at Hao.

"What is that on your hand?"

"Her address, of course"

"Oh, so she's starting to like you?" asked Trey

Hao looked at them.

"We'll practice at her house. She has a piano there"

"What will you practice?" asked Yoh innocently

"Don't think that far, Yoh. We're just friends, that's all'

"Good, because I wanted to ask her out" said Ren

Hao looked at him.

"Really? I don't think she will go our with you"

Ren grinned.

"And why not?"

"She doesn't seem the 'girlfriend' type. Plus, I think you'll have to get her parents' consent."

"Well, I give up then" Ren sighed.

Later, at 16.50, Hao was standing in front of the house.

'That's where she lives…what a nice place'

He went at the door and knocked.

Diana answered the door.

"You're early!"

"Umm…the train came earlier…"

"Come in"

She closed the door after him and showed Hao into the dining room. A black classical piano was waiting for them.

Hao sat down and tried it. The sounds that came were good.

He turned at Diana.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Are you sure we don't bother your parents?"

"My parents are not here. We're alone."

"OK" Hao smiled

So they started singing. After an hour, Diana gave signs that she was tired.

Hao stopped singing too and flexed his fingers.

"We can take a break" said Diana and disappeared into the kitchen.

She returned with two glasses.

"Lemonade?"

"Thank you"

"I forgot to bring it earlier; I'm such a bad host…"

"Don't worry."

She sat down on the sofa and drank a little bit of lemonade from her glass.

"You know, you remind me of someone" Hao said

"Really? Of whom?"

"A girl, Ayana."

Diana sighed.

"You still miss your ex girlfriend?"

Hao looked shocked at her face.

"How did you know?"

"All the school knows"

"Whoa…what? All the school?"

Diana looked at him desperately.

"And which part of me reminds you of her?"

"Your voice, when you sing. We won the competition last year with the same song. We broke up soon after it"

Diana sighed.

"OK, shoot!"

"Shoot?"

"Say it all! You obviously need to talk about this with someone. It looks like you never told anyone…"

"How did you know?"

'Can she read people's mind too?' he asked himself

"Feminine intuition" she laughed. "Your face expression says all"

"All right, I'll tell you. After we got the trophy, she said she had to go to the bathroom. I waited for her. I mean, how much time can a girl spend in the bathroom?"

"You'd be surprised…"

"Anyway, I went to see what she was doing. I asked a girl who was getting out if she saw Ayana and she told me she had been alone in the bathroom. So I entered the boys' bathroom thinking that she must have returned in the cabin while I was looking for her. I saw her kissing another guy. She turned around and saw me. I was shocked. She told me that she didn't actually love me and that she had been my girlfriend only because that made her popular. The guy she was with told me to go. I left…" the boy said looking at the floor.

His eyes filled with tears. He looked back at Diana blinking.

"The next week, her family moved in the other side of the town and she had to change high-schools. I never saw her ever since."

He sighed and closed his eyes, when he felt two warm arms around his body.

He blushed and the girl released him.

"Why…?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that…but you looked like you needed a hug"

'Oh my God, I can't believe what I just did. Big mistake!' she thought

"You really loved her and she didn't appreciate this. All the girls in our high-school would want what she had."

"How about you?"

"Me? I see you as a friend."

'History won't repeat itself, Hao. I won't break your heart because I won't become your girlfriend' she thought looking at him with sadness.

Hao understood and looked back at the piano.

"You know, now that I know all this, I realize I was wrong about you."

"Why?" he asked

"I thought you were a jerk because you wouldn't even talk to those girls who fainted every time they saw you, but instead you tried to protect yourself from another relationship."

Hao smiled sadly.

"That's a nice piano. How comes you're not playing at it?"

Diana bit her lower lip.

"I'm an anti-talent"

"I don't think so…come here."

Diana dragged a chair and sat next to him. Hao played a short and easy melody and told her to be careful. She did, but when her turn came, she only used four fingers to play it, and it didn't sound to well.

"See, I told you I'm an anti-talent!"

"You just need to…practice a little bit."

Hao took her hands into his.

"Your fingers have the proper length"

He placed her fingers on the keys and placed his fingers on top of hers. He started playing the melody by pressing gently on her fingers. She smiled at him and they both blushed. Hao felt as an old wound in his heart was starting to heal.

"You're a good teacher. But we still have to practice for the competition."

They sang until the night came, then Hao thought it was time to leave.

"Thank you for everything, Diana. Bye!"

"You're welcome. Goodbye….Hao"

After he left, she started thinking. Why did he act like that? Why did he blush? Is it possible…? This shouldn't have happened. She won't allow him. No. She didn't want him to suffer anymore. He deserved to be happy, with another girl. If he knew who, what she was…

The day of the competition came with its emotions.

Diana arrived at the opera and found Hao waiting for her.

"Am I late?" she asked

"No. Wow, you look nice!"

"Thanks."

She was wearing a long blue dress, the same color as her eyes and her hair, usually tied, was now released and falling on her shoulders in a waterfall.

Hao was still staring at her so she raised her brows.

"Hao, are you all right?"

Hao snapped back from the spell. A sound caught his attention.

"Hey, bro, are you ready to win?"

Yoh had come to cheer his brother and he had brought the whole gang with him: Anna, Manta, Trey and Ren who was now blushing, looking stunned at Diana with Hao's earlier face expression. Trey smacked him in the head. Ren looked at him furiously while rubbing his head.

"Hi, Yoh! Sure, we are ready to win!"

"Hi, Anna!" said Diana "Hi, guys! Will you cheer us tonight?"

Trey removed a carton from behind him and showed it to them. Diana smiled.

"Cool! Thanks, Trey!" said Hao

"We have to go now, to take our seats" said Anna. "Good luck!" continued the girl, dragging Yoh after her. The rest of them followed Yoh.

Ten minutes later, the competition began. It looked like all high-schools had brought their best soloists. Diana was getting paler.

Hao noticed it.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh my God, I can't do this. They are too good!" she said and turned to run.

Hao took her head in his hands.

"Diana, look at me. You have a beautiful voice, you're better than them and you're the bravest girl I've ever known."

"I'm going to puke"

"Here, have some of this"

"What is it?"

"Orange juice. It's not sweet; it will help you feel better."

"Thanks!"

A minute later, she was all right.

"You were right. Thanks again, Hao"

"You're welcome" he said. "As my brother always says things are going to work out anyway."

She smiled.

"How can you be so calm?"

"I'm used to competing."

Just then, they heard the announcer's voice.

"Next, we have Ayana Kyoushima and Jack Sullivan from the Yosaka high-school!"

Hao froze staring at his ex.

'That Ayana! He didn't expect her to compete!' Diana thought

She waved her hand in front of him but he didn't move. Ayana was singing really beautifully, which made Diana nervous again.

'That's it! I won't allow her to destroy all our work' she thought

"Hao? HAO! Wake up!"

Hao didn't seem to have heard her, and the melody was almost over.

Diana slapped him as hard as she could across the face. He fell under the force of her hit.

"What did you do that for?"

"I won't let you destroy yourself like that! If you want to cry for her, go ahead, but not now! We HAVE to win, do you understand? It's much more than your feelings at stake!"

"All right, but you didn't have to slap me!"

Diana sighed.

"It was the only way I could…"

Then, they heard the announcer's voice again.

"Next, we have Yoshinra high, last year's winner. Diana Johnson and Hao Asakura!"

Diana went on the stage for her first time, trying to ignore her heartbeat. She had to do it. She had to win. Hao was relaxed again. He smiled at Diana to encourage her and they started singing. She saw the carton Trey drew for them and smiled again. Her voice was good, she was singing with all her feelings and all the passion she had.

Ayana was watching them from backstage, now it was her turn to pale. She looked at Hao. He seamed calm.

'Looks like he found me a replacement' said the girl and left.

Hao and Diana finished their song and left the stage smiling.

"I swear that your angelic voice made the public cry" said Hao

"No, they started crying because they realized how divine you play the piano" responded Diana.

Just then, Diana saw Ayana coming towards them.

"Hao, you have to settle this"

She retreated.

"Hello, Hao"

"Hello, Ayana"

"I heard you singing there…it's the same song that we had last year."

"Yes, but she's singing it better than you did"

"She's a good replacement, but I am going to win! I saw how you were looking at me after I finished my song. Do you still miss me after one year?"

Hao went silent.

"I thought that too…" said the girl and kissed him passionately. He took her in his arms and held her tight.

Diana saw the scene and left quietly, with a pale face. Yoh came running towards her.

"Where is Hao?"

"He's over there, with Ayana…"

"WHAT?"

"I'm going at the bathroom…" said Diana and left

Yoh rushed to see the end of the kiss.

"We didn't have the chance to a proper break-up. Consider this…our last kiss…goodbye, Hao!" said Ayana, leaving with an evil smile on her face.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THIS?"

"Yoh, I didn't… she kissed me"

"And you didn't enjoy it, did you?" asked Yoh sarcastically

"I don't know" said Hao looking around. "Where is Diana?"

"At the bathroom. I hope you're satisfied, because she saw this too"

"What, she did…?"

Hao started running towards the girls' bathroom.

He saw Diana coming out and grabbed her arm.

"Diana, let me explain!"

"You don't have to explain anything. It's your life, and I don't have any right…"

"It's not what you think…"

"It's OK if you are back together again; only make sure she doesn't break your heart twice, you deserve to be happy…"

'How can she think only about other people's happiness now?' he thought

"Hao, really, I don't mind. We're just friends, right?"

"We're not together anymore; she gave me a break-up kiss."

Diana stayed quiet for a few seconds.

"Come on, they're announcing the prizes."

"It was a very difficult decision since we had so many talents on stage tonight, but we managed to accomplish this" the announcer said.

"Third place, the Mosuke high!"

The public applauded as two girls took their trophies.

"Second place, the Yamamoto high!"

The public applauded again.

Diana was holding her fingers crossed.

"First place…now, this has been really hard to decide…first place goes to Yosaka high!"

Diana sat down with a sad face. Ayana had taken the trophy, although she had worked so hard to get it. Hao looked at her.

"Not yet" he whispered

"And the grand prize goes to Yoshinra high, the last year's winner. Hao Asakura and Diana Johnson!"

"It's us!" said Diana in surprise, standing up again.

She was so happy now! Nothing mattered anymore. Her parents embraced her. Her music teacher was crying.

"You did it! Diana, thank you!"

"No, thank you, Mr. Himurashi. I would have never done it without you."

Yoh and the rest of the guys came crying too.

"You sang like an angel" said Ren blushing violently

"This calls for a celebration" said Yoh

"A party tonight at our place" said Hao, looking carefully at Anna.

"Why not?" shrugged the girl

"You read my mind, bro" laughed Yoh

"Party? Good, I'm hungry" said Trey

"Are you coming, Diana?" asked Hao

"Sure, but I have to change and everything…"

-----------

Simoo:Thanks for your apreciation

Lilka: I'll update really often if you like to read it. And yes, there will be some romance starting with the 4th chapter, drama in this one. It was one of my first fanfics, and I was just beginning to try romantic stories.


	4. The attack

**THE STAR**

(A/N: Hao, Yoh, Manta, Horo Horo, Ren and Anna are going at the same high-school now, the Yoshinra high. Hao is very popular because he can play the piano and the guitar, and he won many competitions. Yoh and Anna are together, and the rest…Ren is head of Martial Arts Club and Trey participates at snowboard competitions. Oh and Manta, he's the best student in class.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or its characters except for Diana, Katie and Alicia, so don't sue me. Hope you like my fanfic. Don't forget to review!

**Chapter 4: The attack**

Diana was staring at the traditional Japanese house. Hao was looking amused at her.

"What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just…it looks so familiar…"

Yoh opened the door.

"Ah, you're here! Let the party begin!"

Diana smiled and entered the house.

"Where are your parents?" asked the girl, looking at Hao

"They are away now; we asked them to leave us alone for a few hours"

"Ah…that's so nice of them!"

Trey appeared from a room.

"Hey, man, this party is awesome! Food, drinks and everything! Too bad there aren't too many girls!"

Anna appeared behind Trey.

"Diana, come! There are two girls I want you to meet. Pirika and Tamao, this is Diana."

"Nice too meet you" said Diana

"Nice too meet you too" said Tamao

"Same here. I'm Trey's sister" said Pirika

They started talking, eating and drinking juice and dancing. Ren invited Diana to dance a few times but she danced mainly with Hao. Trey danced with Tamao and Pirika with Ren. Anna danced only with Yoh. Manta was looking at them really sad because no one would dance with him, but Diana understood what he was thinking and invited him to dance with her. From that moment, Manta was happy too.

They were soon tired and sat down. Just then, they heard a knock at the door.

"Who could that be?" asked Yoh

Manta answered the door. A green haired boy entered the room with a tired face. He looked as if he had a fight.

"Lyserg, what happened to you?" asked Yoh

The boy looked at Yoh, then at the rest of them. He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Diana.

"I was…Morphin, Oversoul!"

Lyserg's pendulum circled around Diana's body a few times and the crystal pointed at her neck.

"Lyserg, what do you think you are doing?" Hao asked furiously

"She attacked me in the park fifteen minutes ago. She is an enemy and she wanted to kill me."

"No, that couldn't be. Diana has been here with us for more than an hour" said Anna

"I know what I saw" said Lyserg. "But I think you're right. I don't sense any furioku in her body" he said as he released her.

'Getting exposed' Ren mentally said in Lyserg's mind. 'Idiot, she isn't a shaman'

"Diana, I'm sorry. I thought…" he continued

Diana closed her eyes and fell on her knees. She put her hands on her face and screamed.

"NO! NOT NOW! GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Hao bent down and put his arms around her waist, pulling her up.

"Diana, who are you talking to?"

She threw him a look and stopped.

"Let go of me!" she warned Hao

"Not until you tell me!"

"This is MY problem, not yours!"

She struggled in his arms and he had to let her go. She ran out of the house as fast as she could. She felt something calling her from the park.

"How impolite of her!" said Anna calmly and finished her drink.

"What was that all about?" asked Lyserg

"You tell me, everything was going just fine until you showed up!" Hao threatened him

"Maybe we should go after her" said Ren

"I sensed a dark aura around her when she fell on the floor" said Lyserg

"Then what are we waiting for? Something is obviously wrong here" said Yoh, ready for everything as usual.

Hao, Ren, Lyserg and Yoh left.

Pirika looked at Trey.

"Well, you aren't going to help them?"

"No, four boys are enough to handle a poor girl that isn't even a shaman"

"Fine then" said Pirika.

Diana was running in the dark park. She knew what was happening, but she couldn't understand why now. A cold voice stopped her.

"So you came. Perfect."

"What are you doing here? Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"I told you I'll never let you be happy…"

"What do you want from me?"

"I want your soul and the secret power hidden inside of you."

"What are you talking about? I don't have any power!"

"Yes, you do, but you can't use it. Get ready to die! And this time, no one won't stop me, not even the pathetic shamans you were staying with!"

"Shamans?"

"Of course, they're all shamans, except for Manta and Pirika"

"How do you know their names?"

"I know everything that's in your mind. I'm much more powerful now. Enough chit-chat, die, sister!"

"Wait, you attacked Lyserg?" asked Diana grabbing a bar of metal from the ground.

"Ah, how nice! You'll finally fight? Yes, it was me" said the evil girl removing her sword

She attacked quickly, leaving a scratch on Diana's arm.

"You're not quick enough for me" Azumi laughed "I can't believe a piece of junk like you is my sister!"

Suddenly they heard cries.

"Hao and the others" said Azumi.

Diana turned to look and at the same time felt pain in her abdomen. Azumi's sword had gone through it and exited on the other side. Diana fell on the ground just as the shamans had reached her. Lyserg launched his pendulum to the girl who had attacked him and Diana, but she rejected it and disappeared.

"Oh my God!" Hao bent down to the girl. She had lost conscience, and was bleeding badly.

"That evil girl looks exactly like her!" said Lyserg. "Do you think they are related?"

"We must call an ambulance and take her to the hospital ASAP!" said Ren.

Hao took her in his arms and ran back to the house. Anna was waiting for them. Tamao and Pirika had left.

"Something really bad has happened, I sense it!"

"Is she…" Trey started looking at the girl who was covered in blood.

"Call an ambulance!" Hao yelled at Manta

The ambulance arrived a few minutes later. They took Diana. Hao insisted to go with her in the car. He held one of her arms into his while the doctors were doing everything they could to save her life.

"Don't die" he whispered. "Don't leave me alone"

Diana opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Hao…? What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in the ambulance; you were stabbed in the stomach."

"It…hurts…"

"Who did this?"

"She wanted to kill me…"

"Who's she?"

"My twin sister, Azumi…Hao, is it true? Are you really a shaman?"

"Yes" he answered cautiously

"Then…when I die…don't let her take my soul" whispered the girl before fainting again.

Hao's eyes filled with tears. He was looking at her face, not believing what had just happened.

'I won't let you die' he decided.

He bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

The ambulance soon arrived at the hospital. The doctors rushed with the girl in the emergency room. They told Hao to wait outside.

Soon, Hao's friends arrived.

"Well, how is it?" asked Ren

"She was conscious in the ambulance for a few seconds. She said that girl was after her. She knows we are shamans. She asked me to protect her soul when she dies"

"What!"

"She'll die? No, this can't be possible!" said Anna

"Who did it?" asked Ren with anger in his eyes

"Her twin sister, Azumi"

Lyserg sighed.

"So that's why I thought it was her. I'm so sorry, if I hadn't attacked Diana like that…"

"It's not your fault, Lyserg" said Yoh. "That black aura you sensed called her. She would have been attacked anyway."

"It's like the history Yoh-Hao is repeating itself, only Diana is defenseless" said Manta

"Her sister is a strong shaman" said Lyserg. I wonder why she didn't participate at the Tournament"

"Do you think Diana is a shaman too?" asked Trey

"No, she isn't. I already said that" said Lyserg

"She couldn't even see our guardian ghosts" said Ren

Three hours later, the doctors went out of the emergency room with blood on their surgical coats.

"We did everything we could. Now it's up to her. She's quite a fighter. You should call her parents"

"I already did it. They're on their way" answered Anna

"Is it really that bad, doctor?"

"Yes. How did this happen? That was a serious wound. Someone wants her dead"

"She was stabbed with a sword" said Hao

"The hit touched closely her spine. If she survives…she'll be paralyzed…she'll never be able to move her feet again" said the doctor and left.

Hao and the others starred at the doctor in shock.

Diana's parents arrived soon.

"Oh my God, where is my baby? My baby…" cried her mother while her father tried to support her.

"Darling, don't cry. She'll be fine…" said her father trying to fight with his tears

"How did this happen?" asked her mother.

"She was just going home when she was attacked. We heard her screaming and we rushed to help her, but unfortunately the attacker was gone by the time we got there" said Hao

"We called the ambulance and we brought her here" said Ren

"Thank you, children" said her mother. "Maybe she still has a chance to survive because you moved fast"

Her parents entered the room where her daughter laid.

"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" asked Yoh

"Because they are not her natural parents, they're not shamans and they don't know about her evil twin sister."

"How do you know?"

"I searched it in their mind"

"Then, what exactly do they know about her?"

"Maybe even less than we do" said Hao


	5. Diana's secret: revealed

**THE STAR**

(A/N: Hao, Yoh, Manta, Horo Horo, Ren and Anna are going at the same high-school now, the Yoshinra high. Hao is very popular because he can play the piano and the guitar, and he won many competitions. Yoh and Anna are together, and the rest…Ren is head of Martial Arts Club and Trey participates at snowboard competitions. Oh and Manta, he's the best student in class.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or its characters except for Diana, Katie and Alicia, so don't sue me. Hope you like my fanfic. Don't forget to review! I posted two chapters today because I'll be gone for the next two weeks. I'm gonna miss you guys!

**Chapter 5: Diana's secret: revealed**

The girl woke up the next morning to see her parents next to her bed.

"Mum, Dad…?"

"Diana, what happened, are you all right?" her father asked

"I was attacked in the park…"

"Oh, my baby! My baby!" cried her mother

"What did the doctors say?" asked Diana

"Since you woke up, it looks like the main danger is gone, but…"

"But what, Dad?"

"The doctors think that you'll be paralyzed and you won't be able to walk"

Diana fell on her pillow with tears in her eyes.

Paralyzed?

"Where are my friends?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"They were sent home. Hao insisted to stay with you but the doctors made him go home. Such devotion!" said her father smiling. "I think he likes you."

"Nah, he…maybe he feels guilty. It was not his fault."

"We know. We don't consider them responsible for this. We're happy that your friends brought you here in time to save your life."

"What time is it?" asked Diana

"It's 6.30 in the morning" said her mother

Just then, they heard a knock on the door. The doctor came in smiling at her.

"We have good news. It looks like her spine wasn't affected the way we thought. Actually we believe it was healed somehow. Looks like if she continues like this, in a few days you can take her home."

Then, the doctor left the room.

Diana's mother hugged her crying and her father smiled at her.

They heard another knock at the door.

This time, it was Hao with a bouquet of red roses.

Diana's father smiled at his wife with understood implication and they both left.

"We're going to eat something" he said

Hao entered the room and gave her the roses.

"I'm sorry for what happened. And they didn't even let me stay with you…"

"It's OK. Thanks for the flowers. Where are the others?"

"They're still sleeping. I came alone."

"Hao, you look awful. Didn't you sleep?"

"I couldn't. I was worried about you."

"You feel guilty for what happened? You don't have to!"

"I feel guilty for letting you go when I should have held you tight."

Diana blushed.

"You don't have to feel guilty. She would have got me anyway. If she found me when I was on my way home, I would have surely died. I'm grateful to you and the others."

"How did this happen? How comes she's following and you and how comes your parents don't know about her?"

"How did you…?"

"I am an Onmyoji and I can hear people's thoughts."

'Uh-oh' she thought

"Fine, I'll tell you my story. They are not my real parents. They adopted me one year ago."

She sighed.

"I was born in a shaman's family. My mother was an Itako and my father was an Onmyoji, like you. My sister and I were able to see ghosts, and accepted them as part of the world. The ghosts were our only friends until we turned six. Then, our parents decided to train us for the Tournament. I wasn't interested. I refused to learn how to fight. I wanted a normal life, with children as friends. My sister accepted and started training. I saw her doing this every day. Somehow, I envied her, but I still didn't want to fight. I went to school and made real friends. My parents sent me to an intern school. I came home only in holidays. Soon, I lost my ability to see ghosts. I was normal and I was happy and my sister was getting better every day, I could see that."

"You lost your abilities? But why?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because I wanted to. Anyway, the day we turned thirteen, Azumi was challenged by one of the commissioners. She won and passed to the next round. But she lost the next two matches and was drawn out of the Tournament. When she returned home after losing the second match, she refused to eat and went straight to her room. Our mother followed her upstairs and tried to make her feel better. Azumi was blaming our parents for her failure. She kept babbling that if she had had our parents' powers, she would have won. When we noticed that my mother wasn't coming down anymore, my father became worried. He went upstairs and never returned. I was scared already. I found her covered in their blood. She had killed our parents to take their power!"

Diana went silent and tears filled her eyes.

"I didn't know…I'm sorry…" said Hao

The girl continued her story with a low voice, looking down.

"I saw her standing there looking very satisfied. She had used her knowledge to trap their souls inside her body. She raised her sword to kill me too but she changed her mind. She told me she would let me live because I'm not a shaman anyway, so I don't deserve to die by her hand. Also, she told me that she'll make my life a hell if I told anyone what had happened. She left her sword on the floor and disappeared. The police found me stunned next to the dead bodies, holding her sword in my hands. They said I was guilty for killing my parents."

"You paid for her crimes?"

"Yes. Her DNA, identical with mine, was all over the place. I tried to explain it was my sister's fault. My neighbors knew that only one girl lived there and they said it was me. I went to correction school where I was humiliated and beaten every day…I cried every day…all I wanted was for Azumi to come back and kill me. She came, after a while, but not to kill me. She teased me and made me feel responsible for their death so that I would suffer more than I already did."

At this point, Hao went closer to her and hugged her.

"I can't believe what you went through! You really were very brave!"

"My sister told me that she found a way to canalize the spirits' powers inside her body without using Unity. She said she was going to kill other shamans to have their power. I hadn't seen her for a long time and I was hoping never to see her again. Then, out of nowhere, they released me for good behavior and I was sent to an orphanage. There, the Johnsons found me. They decided to adopt me since they couldn't have children. I thought my sister had died in a confrontation or something and that's why she didn't come to tease me as usual, so I thought it was OK to try to love again. I lived a normal life with them in the USA for a few months and then we moved here. You know the rest…" she ended the story

"So, if she only wanted to make you suffer, why did she try to kill you now?"

"She mentioned something about me having secret hidden powers."

"It's possible…"

"No. If I had them, I could have protected myself."

She raised her head and smiled.

"Anyway, I have some good news for you. Looks like I'm not going to be paralyzed after all. The doctor said I'll leave the hospital in a few days. I'm healing really quickly."

"That's…extraordinary!"

"I know…Hao, you're tired. Please, go home, now that you know I'm fine"

"No. I'll stay here and protect you in case she returns."

"She won't risk exposing herself here. Maybe she doesn't even know I'm still alive. You need to rest!"

"I want to stay with you" he said and approached his face to the girl's.

"No, you mustn't…" she said as his lips gently brushed against hers. She closed her eyes. As the kiss deepened, she felt chills on her spine and her heart was beating faster. Hao pulled away leaving her breathless.

"I love you, I need you" said the boy looking deeply in her eyes. "I can protect you from Azumi. I'm strong. I control one of the five sacred spirits: the Spirit of Fire."

"OK, the break is over now" said her father coming inside.

"Go, Hao" said the girl. "Go get some rest, I'm in good hands now"

Hao nodded.

"All right, if you really want me to do it…"

So Hao left.

Diana's mother came inside with a cup of coffee.

"What a nice young man…"

"He didn't sleep all night because he was worried about me"

"I told you he loves you" her father said

"Maybe…" said the girl looking at the bouquet on the vase.

The other shamans came to visit her, but they found her sleeping and they didn't want to disturb her. Hao had told them her story and they were all impressed. They wanted to talk to her, but every time they came, she was asleep.

The third day when they came, they found her room empty. It was evening.

"She was released two hours ago because her health had improved" a nurse told them.

Hao and the others went directly at her house. They found her mother crying in a corner and her father sad, reading a letter.

"We came home five minutes ago. We went to her room and saw that her clothes were missing. She left us this" said her father handing Hao the letter.

"Dear Mom and Dad,

Please don't be upset because of me. I had to leave. I can't stay here anymore. I'm afraid to go into the unknown but I don't want you to get hurt. I love you both. I want you to be happy and not to worry about me.

And, please, tell Hao I love him too.

Don't try to look for me; it would be better if you just forgot me.

I'll love you forever.

Diana"

"Why did she leave us?" said her mother collapsing into the ground

"I don't know…" said Hao

'She loves me too…then why did she go?' Hao asked himself

The shamans and Manta left her house.

"She's still in danger" said Hao. "We have to find her!"

"Well, we'll have to check the four train stations and the airport" Manta said. "I'll check the northern one; Hao takes the southern one, Lyserg the eastern one and Trey the western one. Yoh and Anna can go at the airport. The one who finds her phones at Yoh's place. Ren will wait there and he'll transmit telepathically to the others where she is.'

"It's a good plan, Manta" said Yoh. "Let's go!"

Thirty minutes later, Manta spotted Diana in the northern train station. He phoned Ren and then looked around. They were alone, since it was late. The weather had gone worse too. He went to sit next to her.

"Diana…"

"Manta, you shouldn't be here."

"Your parents are crazy looking for you and Hao too…you say you love him, then why are you leaving him?"

"It's much too dangerous. My sister made it clear that she'll kill al the people I care about if I stayed with them. She won't let me be happy…I don't want my adoptive parents to die. Or Hao. They'll be better off without me."

"You're wrong. Hao loves you and he can protect himself and you. He's the most powerful shaman I've ever seen. If you leave now, it means that you are a coward."

"You're right. I am a coward. Now go. My train will be here in ten minutes."

Azumi appeared mysteriously out of nowhere.

"This train will leave without you"

Diana stood up with an angry expression on her face and placed herself in front of the short boy.

"Azumi, you can have me! Just let Manta go!"

"How touching! You want to sacrifice yourself to protect your friend! It makes me puke! I will kill you both and I'll have you soul"

She started attacking them. Diana and Manta tried to avoid the hits, but they were soon seriously wounded.

"You're not going to escape this time. This weak human can't help you."

"Hang on!" Manta whispered. "The others will come to save us"

"I'm afraid it will be too late for you two then"

She raised her sword, initiating a deadly attack.

In the same time, Hao, Yoh, Anna and Ren entered the train station. Yoh rushed to protect Manta, although he knew he won't be there in time.

Diana felt a strange warmth into her body. She placed herself quickly in front of Manta (A/N: during the attacks, they had been separated) and extended a hand in the direction where they were going to get hit. She and Manta closed their eyes, waiting for the impact…but it didn't happen.

A blue light came from her hand and circled them as a shield. Azumi's attack turned against her, hurting her badly.

"Shimatta! You bitch!" said Azumi and disappeared.

Diana finally opened her eyes and saw the others looking surprised at her. Manta opened his eyes too.

"What happened?" Manta asked

He looked at the others. None of them had performed Oversoul.

They were still shocked, looking at the girl.

Diana was looking at her hand.

"It was me…but how?...Why?"

"Looks like you have some hidden powers after all" said Hao running at her. "You're hurt! What was in your mind to run away like that?"

"She said she was going to kill you all if I stayed…"

"I'm stronger than her; I'll show her blackmail…"

"Hao…"

"What?" he asked

"Thanks…"

Two blue lights appeared on the clear night's sky. Two spirits.

"My parents…" whispered Diana

"We don't have much time. Thank you for releasing us. That was a perfect Qui Shield" her mother said

"How did I do it? And how comes I can see you now?"

"You had this power all along. You're a shaman although you wanted to deny this at first. You released your powers to protect an innocent" said her father

"Azumi is not herself right now. She has been controlled by a dark force ever since she returned from the second match. You must save her"

"You have to fight" said her father again

"We'll give you something to help" said her mother.

She and her husband united their powers and created a beautiful blue sword of light that transformed in metal once Diana touched it.

"This is the Sword of the Sky. It's very powerful; it can even destroy demons. It's our legacy and contains all our power. Use it wisely, our dear. We have to go now…"

"These shamans will help you if you trust them. Remember…"

"…always trust your feelings. Your heart is your weapon…"

With that, they disappeared into the light, leaving Diana with the sword.

"Ok, that was really confusing" declared Trey who had just arrived with Lyserg.

"What happened here?" Lyserg asked

"Explain him, Manta" said Diana looking at her sword. She lifted it above her had and concentrated. A blue light circled her body again.

"WOW!" said both Lyserg and Trey at the same time.

"I have my parents' powers inside of me now" she said.

"Manta, you're hurt. Let me see…"

She put her sword on the ground and went towards him.

She put a hand on his head and murmured "Power of the hearts, help me. Blood for blood, life for life!"

This time, a silvery light appeared and healed both her and Manta.

"This was really cool!" said Yoh

"I guess that's what healed me back at the hospital. The doctor said it was a miracle"

"Wow, how did you know how to do this?" asked Ren

"I saw my mother doing it once or twice" said the girl getting up. "But I still have to learn how to control all this power, and to fight."

She went towards Hao.

"Manta said that you are the strongest shaman he has ever seen"

"You traitor!" Yoh threatened Manta

"Teach me!" she ended.

"This means you're staying?" asked Hao

"Yes. I don't have to run away anymore" answered the girl on a low voice

"You never had to run away. Should have fought against her from the beginning" said Trey

Hao lifted the blue sword and brought it back to Diana.

"You'll have to start with the beginning, with the spirit Unity. But first, you must explain how things are to your adoptive parents" said the boy

"I can't. They'll hate me, and I can't expose our true identity"

"But you must. They love you and they will understand. And if they don't, you can come and live with us for a while" said Anna

"Thanks" Diana answered.

She went alone at her place and found her mother and father with the Police. She excused herself and told them that she wanted to run away but she changed her mind. After the Police left, she approached to her parents.

"I will tell you the truth. Please, listen and try to understand that I hid this from you to protect you."

So, she told them her story. Her parents wouldn't believe in the beginning, but then she healed a cut on her mother's hand. They were scared when they realized that all she had said was true, but they accepted her for who she was.

"We love you even if you are different, darling" her mother said

"I'm sorry you suffered so much and I'm glad that you had the courage to tell us the truth" said her father

"Thank you!" said Diana and hugged them both.


	6. Chapter 6

**THE STAR**

(A/N: Hao, Yoh, Manta, Horo Horo, Ren and Anna are going at the same high-school now, the Yoshinra high. Hao is very popular because he can play the piano and the guitar, and he won many competitions. Yoh and Anna are together, and the rest…Ren is head of Martial Arts Club and Trey participates at snowboard competitions. Oh and Manta, he's the best student in class.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Shaman King or its characters except for Diana, Katie and Alicia, so don't sue me. Hope you like my fanfic. Don't forget to review!

**Chapter 6: Problems in Paradise**

The next days passed as they came with the only difference that Diana's skills had improved. She was now fighting using her furioku, and she was training with all the shamans. She had made visible progress; she was very powerful.

Hao trained her himself. Although a fight against him was a very difficult way to train, Hao knew that she could heal any wounds that might come during a fight. She was taking her training seriously, preparing to face her sister and the demon that was controlling her. She couldn't help wondering…Hao told her the story of what had happened between him and Yoh during the Tournament.

She hoped that she wouldn't have to kill her sister. Also, she was wondering why her sister hadn't attacked yet. It looked like Azumi had to heal like a normal person.

Diana wanted to fight against her sister alone, but the others kept saying that her fight is theirs too; especially Hao who couldn't see Diana fighting without him at her side to protect her. She was starting to be bothered by his excessive protection; she couldn't even walk in the park without him.

She sort of liked his company in the beginning, but now she realized she needed to think about what she should do, but she knew she couldn't think when he was nearby.

Therefore, she came rarely at his place. Anna was satisfied of how things were going with the training. Hao, on the other hand, was furious when she didn't come at Anna's place. He was waiting for her every day and he was looking for her in the class every break. Diana thought he was too possessive. She was trying to keep their relationship secret and he wasn't doing anything to help. Even Katie realized that there was still something between them.

"Diana, what are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing, Katie"

She didn't want to tell her yet.

"Why is Hao always looking for you? Are you…together?"

"No, we're just good friends"

"Good friends? This is not a good excuse. It looks like he's obsessed of you"

She just wanted to be left alone sometimes, but he, although heard her thoughts, didn't get that and she was afraid to tell him directly. She was afraid of his reaction…she didn't want him to think she was cheating on him.

She was trying to run away from him during the break. Katie always had to tell him she was buying food from the nearby shop or she is at the bathroom or she's talking to a teacher.

Hao started suspecting her but he wouldn't talk directly to her either.

How was this possible? How could she forget what they had been through together? Didn't she love him anymore? Had their 'relationship' lasted only a couple of weeks?

He was trying to understand and he was always sad.

Diana was sad too but she didn't dare to tell him what she wanted.

So Hao had no choice but to ask Anna (when everyone was there)

"Anna, can I talk to you?"

"What do you want, Hao? Say it quickly, I don't want to miss my series" said the girl watching TV and without looking at him.

Yoh and Trey raised their heads; Hao had never asked Anna anything, he was usually talking to Yoh. Ren, Manta and Lyserg were still playing Monopoly.

"It's about Diana. She's been avoiding me for the last three days and she didn't even talk to me at school. Do you think she doesn't like me anymore, she lost her interest?"

"Problems in Paradise?" asked Trey

"Why don't you ask Ren the heartbreaker?" asked Yoh looking at the boy.

Ren blushed and smacked Yoh in the head.

"I'm NOT a heartbreaker!"

Yoh coughed "Alicia"

"Maybe she likes someone else…" said Lyserg

"I would have got bored of you after the first three days" said Trey

Yoh smacked Trey.

"Shut up if you can't say something that's worth listening to, can't you see he's suffering enough if he came to ask Anna?"

Anna finally talked.

"I HEARD THAT, YOH! Poor Andy, his girlfriend started avoiding him because he was following her everywhere, she couldn't even think without him at her side. Now, she broke up with him and she'll marry Mark."

Hao looked at her and thanked her. OK, Anna was referring at her series, but she had solved his problem.

That was it! Diana needed her freedom; she needed to think without to worry that he could understand. So he stopped looking for her at school, although he suffered from not seeing her.

Now, it was her turn to worry; she thought that he had lost interest in her and when she was seeing him on the corridor with the girls who usually fainted for him, she was jealous.

"Katie, I want to talk to you about something, but I want you to keep this for yourself, it's a secret."

Katie widened her eyes.

"You know you can tell me anything"

Diana swallowed hard.

"You were right, we are…together. We were happy, but he was following me everywhere and he was…you know….to protective, as if I was going to be attacked by that maniac anytime. I needed space and I started avoiding him. Now I think it was a mistake. He's avoiding me too and I think I'm not his girlfriend anymore."

"That's hard. I don't know what to say"

"I saw him on the corridor with his fan club and I became jealous. He saw me too but he didn't come to say hello."

"I think you're right. He got bored of you."

Diana's eyes filled with tears.

"What did you expect, he's a star, and he could have any girl here! If he started seeing other girls already, than he's a jerk who played with you until he got something better."

"He is so gentle and caring; I don't want to lose him!"

"Diana, relax. There are other boys on this planet. You only have to look. See? That's Andrew from 9C. He's handsome, isn't he?"

"Katie, thanks, but I have to talk to him, see if he wants us to break up."

The next day she went to the Asakura house to train. Hao was there too, but he went out of the house the moment he saw her coming.

'Why is he avoiding me all of a sudden? Doesn't he want to see me anymore?' she wondered as she entered.

Anna made her fight against Lyserg first. The last week, she managed to defeat him. But now, his pendulum circled her in a few seconds taking all her furioku. Lyserg smiled. It was Trey's turn. He attacked her with the Avalanche and she barely avoided it. She lost miserably to Yoh and Ren too. She had lost to all of them.

She collapsed to the ground and sat there without looking at them. They were silent too.

She said goodbye, thanked them for the fights and ran away, barely fighting with her tears.

'I'm stupid, stupid, stupid, and that's affecting my fighting too. They're upset with me too; they probably think I betrayed him. I owe them my life and my happiness and instead of thanking God for what I have, I hurt everyone's feelings'

She was running without looking, when suddenly she bumped into someone.

"Hao…?"

As she looked at the face of the one she loved, she burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.

"Diana, please, don't cry…it's OK…what happened?" he asked caressing her head

"I was so stupid…I didn't deserve your love…but I need you…please…"

He stayed shocked. What was she thinking about?

"Please…tell me…tell me that you don't want us to break up…because this is too much for me"

'Oh my God! She thought I wanted us to break up?' he asked himself while hugging her

"Diana, no, I never stopped loving you."

At his words, her tears disappeared

"Then why did you stop looking for me?" she asked looking at him

"I thought that you didn't want me around you anymore"

"I thought you were a little too protective with me and…I was suffocated because I couldn't think when you were next to me…what was I thinking? I'm so stupid…I'm so stupid…"

"No, you're not!" he answered. "I was the stupid one. I thought you were getting bored of me…until Anna told me you needed space…so I wanted you to have all the freedom you needed…to make you happy…now I see I exaggerated a little bit"

"I should have told you from the beginning, but I was afraid of your reaction. I'm sorry" she said and looked at the ground.

Hao took her head into his hands and hissed her lips deeply. She held him and kissed him back. She was breathless, hungry of his love. She never wanted to let him go.

'God, I missed her' he thought

'God, I missed him' she thought.

Hao went home with a big smile on his face, a smile that no one could erase.

"Hey, lover boy!" said Trey smiling evilly

Hao looked at him.

"Your girlfriend's skills are worse every day. We defeated her in ten seconds maximum each" he continued.

"Shut up Trey, I'm telling you…" Hao warned him

"She was feeling guilty" said Lyserg, laughing

"She lost miserably…" Ren continued.

"…to us!" Yoh ended

Hao looked at each of them, and then smacked them all in their heads.

"Ah, they reconciliated" said Trey rubbing his head.

"You made her CRY, you idiots!" said Hao angry and entered the house.

"She…was…crying?!" the four boys wondered then followed Hao inside.

"What happened? Did you meet her on your way?" Yoh asked

"You don't deserve to know, bro" Hao said

"She fought miserably because she had doubts about Hao" Anna answered without looking at them. "So don't be so proud of yourselves, you caught her on a bad day"

In the park, Diana was walking. She was happy now. Very happy…

One more chapter to go. YAY! 


End file.
